Echoes of a Lost Song

Synopsis: The distant woods lie beneath a veil of mist, and the cold mountain is a swath of mournful green.

The wind sighs, the rain sighs. The lamp burns low through yet another night.

Among falling blossoms, a lone figure stands; in the light rain, two swallows fly side by side.

I would entrust my thoughts to the jade zither, but there are so few who understand. If the strings break, who will listen?

If I had known love would bind my heart so, why did we ever meet?

The world drifts along with the flowing water. In the end, this life was but a dream.

The former Prince Huan of Southern Liang was renowned throughout the land for his mastery of the zither. In the third year of the Kaiyuan era of Qi, his piece Longing and Parting was passed down through the ages. He dedicated it first to his homeland, then to his old friend, and finally to the mortal world.

When Northern Qi conquered Southern Liang, its princes and nobles became prisoners. For fifteen years, they lived under another's roof, still remembering the days of their youth, dressed in fine clothes and riding spirited horses. Now the long road home stretches before him. His hair has turned gray, though the familiar accents remain. Who is there left to wait for?

The kingdom has fallen, yet the mountains and rivers remain, and the trees are still green. The dead are gone, separated by life and death, but they remain in the heart.

Huan has not forgotten the spring breeze, the smiling face, the fluttering robes. Huan still remembers the clash of blades and the dancing dragons. Huan is waiting for the flowers on the far shore to bloom, waiting for you to come.

Xuanqing, Huan has never forgotten you, and would not dare to.

Xuanqing, do you know how long this longing and sorrow have lasted?

Note: The synopsis borrows lines from several poems. In recent years, I've been studying classical dance and have come across many traditional-style songs. A few days ago, I heard The Zither Player, and it stirred my heart and made me itch to write. I haven't felt such a strong urge to write in a long time, so I decided to act on it. This story draws on the songs The Zither Player and Fireworks Fade, with a fictional setting inspired by the Wei, Jin, and Northern and Southern Dynasties.

I'll also update this on Weibo, so if I ever forget my JJ password, at least I'll still have Weibo...

https://weibo.com/lanai117